Explain a symptom score and negotiate a treatment change — CASC communication station

Station brief

Format. Communication station, approximately 7–10 minutes active time after reading. You are the psychiatry registrar in a community clinic. [3]

Candidate instructions. Build rapport. Explain why questionnaires are used (to track change and guide decisions). Interpret PHQ-9 16 and GAD-7 11 in plain language without claiming a laboratory diagnosis. Check suicidal thoughts even if item 9 is 0 today. Explore side effects, adherence, and goals. Propose a collaborative plan (e.g. dose optimisation within product guidance, adherence support, psychotherapy access, earlier review) and agree when to remeasure. Avoid jargon, cut-off worship, and invented legal section numbers. [1][2][3]